Teenager in rail suicide was sent abusive message on social networking site

Teenager Natasha MacBryde was found dead on a railway line hours after
receiving an abusive and threatening message on the Formspring social
networking website, an inquest was told.

Natasha MacBryde was sent an abusive message on social networking sitePhoto: PA

6:55AM BST 22 Jul 2011

Worcestershire coroner’s court heard that Natasha MacBryde, a 15-year-old grammar school pupil, had also used the internet to research methods of suicide in the run-up to her death.

Natasha, who had suffered multiple injuries, was found dead by a train driver 150 yards from her home in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, in the early hours of Feb 14 this year.

Speaking after the inquest, Natasha’s parents said they feared that lyrics to one of her favourite songs — Grenade by the American Bruno Mars — may have also encouraged her to take her own life. The song contains the lyrics: “I’d jump in front of a train for ya.”

Det Sgt Shanie Erwin told the inquest that Natasha was known to have received a short anonymous message containing personal abuse via the Formspring networking site on Feb 13.

The message, which was read to the jury by Det Sgt Erwin, derided Natasha for “hiding” behind make-up. It ended: “Start acting nicer to people or you will lose everyone. Mark my words.”

Det Sgt Erwin said Natasha, who was part of a close-knit group of 10 friends at Worcester’s Royal Grammar School, then sent back a message on Formspring asking: “Who are you?”

It also emerged during the hearing that Natasha, whose parents had separated, came home from school in tears around two weeks before her death, saying she did not have any friends.

Det Sgt Erwin told the hearing that officers had spoken to some of Natasha’s friends in the days following her death and had found that she also had a “disagreement” on Facebook on Feb 13.

After the jury ruled that the schoolgirl had taken her own life, her parents, Andrew and Jane MacBryde, said they believed anonymous messages on Formspring had played a significant role in the events leading up to her death.

The statement, issued by British Transport Police, said: “As a family, we continue to deal daily with the impact that the terrible loss of Tasha has had on all of our lives. She was a bright and beautiful girl whose smile and sparkle lit up not only our world, but also that of her friends and all who knew her.”

The family added that the inquest had been “an agonising process”, but had allowed them to feel closer to their daughter.

“We believe that the evocative lyrics of one of her favourite songs, Grenade by Bruno Mars, coupled with access to certain websites suggesting such actions, caused her to make such a sudden drastic and uncharacteristic decision,” they said. “The family believes that the anonymous postings on the Formspring social networking website were a significant contributor to the events on Feb 13, and we seek to understand the motivation of those who choose to send spiteful and vindictive messages to their peers. We can only hope that lessons have been learned.” Formspring is a question and answer based social website that allows users to ask questions about other users. It has been accused of encouraging cyber-bullying due to the anonymity of entries.

Last March, Alexis Pilkington, 17, committed suicide in New York after insulting comments about her were posted on the site in the days leading up to her death.